Let's Get Down To Business
by HiIWriteBadHetaliaFicsBye
Summary: This fic is a GerMano spin-off of Fifty Shades of Grey, without all the BS. Lovino fills in for his sick brother at a company owned by Ludwig Beilschmidt. Is there more to Ludwig than the flirty, macho man facade he puts on? Probably not, but why not find out anyway. ;) Rated M for possible smut in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Everything was Lovino's fault. When it came down to the economic diaphragm of the company he worked for, if anything went wrong, it was his fault. If he and his brother lost their little two-bedroom apartment, it was his fault. He was the only one out of the two of them that actually _worked_ , creating a lot of financial tension between them. If he didn't get their expenses paid on time, it was always because he wasn't working hard enough, and _totally_ not because Feliciano, his younger brother, outright refused to go out and get a job.

" _It's so much easier just to stay here and nap!"_ Feliciano would constantly whine, buried beneath multiple layers of blankets as he lounged out on the couch. He was such a pain, but Lovino could never bring himself to kick the younger Italian man out, because he always felt bad for him. That, and the fact that he had this motherly instinct to take care of him. He was never any help. He barely did chores, he didn't pitch in with bills, but Lovino enjoyed the company, he guessed.

Daybreak was coming as the sun began to creep out behind the clouds. The alarm sitting on Lovino's dark oak bedside table began to blare, signifying that it was now 6:00 am, and that if Lovino wanted to be able to eat breakfast before heading off to his second job, he needed to actually _get up._ The dark-haired Italian groggily rolled out of bed, slamming his fist on the button of his alarm. He used a hand to rub at his eyes, and he rose out of bed, stumbling his way to the bathroom. He quickly popped his contacts in and huffed as he looked into the mirror.

"First days are always important," He spoke to himself. He blinked once more before furrowing his eyebrows in determination, glaring at his reflection. "You can do this! You're capable of achieving anything! You're-"

" _Lovino!"_ Feliciano called out from the kitchen.

"-You're Lovino…" Lovino sighed, his ego and energy completely deflating. Trudging out to the kitchen, he pulled a crisp, clean white tee shirt on over his head. He looked down to his brother, who he seemed to tower over in comparison. "Yeah?" He asks Feliciano. The strawberry-blond male grins up at his older brother as he hums.

"I made you breakfast! It's not much, it's just bacon, eggs and toast, but it should be good enough to get you going for the day." Feliciano said with a singsong tune, scooping the food onto a plate.

"Ah, _grazie_ , Feli." Lovino murmured with a small smile. Lovino really only ever opened up and smiled around people he really cared about, such as Feliciano, and… Well, Feliciano. No one else really seemed to catch Lovino's interests, thus never really getting him to laugh.

" _Si!_ It's the least I can do!" Feliciano grins brightly as Lovino began to eat. The older Italian hums in satisfaction, thoroughly enjoying his meal. He quickly devoured the rest of the food, glancing over at the clock. _6:10._ "Say, I really appreciate you filling in for me. I promise, you'll do great! Mr. Beilschmidt is said to be a pretty cool guy, so I wouldn't be worried." Feliciano waves his hand about, rolling his eyes happily.

"Right, right, but I gotta get dressed, and you need to go back to bed. You're still sick." Lovino chuckles softly, reaching across the caramel-coloured table to pinch Feliciano's cheek.

" _Fine."_ Feliciano pouts, sighing lowly. Lovino exits the kitchen to head to his room, kicking off his pyjama bottoms after shutting the door. Looking to the clock, he grunts, nearly tripping.

 _6:15._

He pulled a mocha and tan striped sweater over his tee shirt, pulling on a pair of tan, form-fitting jeans afterwards. He slipped on some socks and stepped into his brown dress shoes, lacing them up quickly. He grabbed his leather tote, brown of course, and he hurried out the door. He hails down a cab and steps inside.

"Where to?" The cab driver asks, and Lovino sets his bag next to him on the seat.

"Beilschmidt Inc., please." He states, and he buckles up his seatbelt before the driver pulls away from the apartment. Lovino gazed out the windows at the tall skyscrapers and businesses as they fly past the car. He began to hum quietly along with the radio, clutching the bag close to him.

"What's someone like you doing with Beilschmidt Inc., now?" The driver asks the Italian. The brunet quirks an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" Lovino asks, tilting his head.

"Beilschmidt is a pretty hard company to get affiliated with. Not just everyone gets to work with Mr. Beilschmidt." The driver explains. Lovino laughs nervously, rubbing his neck.

"No, no, I'm just working as an intern." Lovino murmurs awkwardly, and the driver nods a few times.

"I see. Yet still, you're lucky." The cabbie pulls up in front of the tall skyscraper, and Lovino looks up.

Written in grey, steel letters above the main entrance was _BEILSCHMIDT INDUSTRIES._ The building was slick and chic, touching the clouds as it shone in the sunlight.

' _Industries of what, though?'_ Lovino thought to himself, paying the cabbie. He steps out of the car, not realizing that he had left his bag in the cab. He approached the building as the cab sped off, humming a soft tune to himself. He halted in front of the building, and he exhaled shakily.

He stepped through the revolving door, and he was taken aback when he was hit with the sight of grey, white, and black interior, with little to no splashes of actual colour here and there. On the black desk? White calla lilies. The television? Silver. The coffee machine? Black, on a grey table. The carpet underneath the white and grey couches in the lobby? Black.

Everything went so well together. The employees and representatives were all dressed stylishly from head to toe in monochromatic colours, and here Lovino was, wearing a brown cardigan, khakis, and brown dress shoes. He stuck out like a sore thumb.

Lovino looked up when the female secretary at the front desk called out, "Mr. Vargas?"

" _Si?_ Oh, yes, that's me." He approaches her.

" _Wunderbar_. Excellent, this way, please." She began to lead Lovino down a hallway lined with modern-looking paintings in, of course, grey and black. "My name is Lynn. Please come to me with any questions or concerns." The blonde woman looks back at Lovino with a smile, her heels clicking against the marble floors. _She walked with such confidence…_

Lovino nodded once. "Mr. Beilschmidt will see you now. Right here," She knocked upon a set of large doors, which opened soon after. Lynn took her leave, leaving Lovino standing in front of the doors, looking into the room.

Mr. Beilschmidt stood with his back turned to the doors, facing the windows as he gazed out at the skyline.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr. Beilschmidt." Lovino cleared his throat, stroking his chin. The businessman turned around, smiling faintly as he approached Lovino. He took hold of the edge of the door, allowing Lovino to step into the room before closing it firmly.

"Ah, Mr. Feliciano Vargas." Mr. Beilschmidt hummed lightly, leading Lovino to the chairs in front of his desk. He looked the Italian over with a hum. "You're definitely cuter than I heard."

"Hold on- What, now?" Lovino scowled, scoffing. He sat down, but _totally_ not because Mr. Beilschmidt had beckoned him to do so. His legs were tired, 's all. "First of all, I'm not _cute_ … Second of all, I don't even know you, so you need to back up a bit, Mr. Beilschmidt. And finally, Feliciano is my brother. He felt like playing hookie on the first day of his new job, so I'm just filling in." Lovino ranted out, patting down his sides. " _Che cazzo?!_ " He grunts, looking around. " _Dannato,_ I must've left my bag in the cab…" He murmurs. Mr. Beilschmidt quirks his eyebrow, trying to wrap his head around all of the new information

"Wait, he's sick-? Hold on, now. What was in your bag?" Mr. Beilschmidt asks, and Lovino looks up with a sigh.

"It's fine. I just had a notepad and a few pens in there. I keep my wallet and phone in my pockets… But I took a cab, and the driver sped off before I could go back and grab my things." Lovino sighs, but he turns his attention back to Mr. Beilschmidt. "Anyway…-" Lovino was cut off by Mr. Beilschmidt not paying attention to anything he was saying, digging around in his desk drawer. He pulls out a thick, black bound notebook, sliding it gently to Lovino along with a fine-tip pen. Lovino nodded once in thanks before tearing out a piece of paper.

" _Nein._ Keep it." Mr. Beilschmidt chuckles.

"Oh… well, _grazie_ , I guess." Lovino mumbled, clearing his throat. "Anyway, my name is Lovino Vargas, and I'll be your assistant for the day." The Italian states, looking the blond German in the eyes.

" _Guten tag,_ Lovino. My name is Ludwig Beilschmidt." He stuck out his hand, and Lovino gingerly accepts it, clearing his throat when he received a firm handshake. The Italian rubs his neck and pulls his hand away after Ludwig held onto his hand for a second longer than Lovino would have liked him to.

" _Piacere di conoscerla._ Pleasure to meet you." Lovino murmurs.

"Hmm. Well, now that the introductory business is done, let's get down to the real business, shall we?" Ludwig had a small smirk on his face as he looked Lovino over. Lovino wasn't sure what he was hinting at, but he was sure he was slightly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." The Italian grumbled, keeping his head down.

"Excellent. Now first rule," Ludwig leaned in closer, his head tilted just slightly in cockiness. "Please look at me when I'm addressing you." Ludwig hums, his hands folding atop each other on his desk.

Lovino turns a little pink as he glances up at the German. He quirks an eyebrow.

"Is that the rule, or…?" The brunet asks, shaking his head a little in sarcasm as he made a little gesture.

"Yes, that is the rule." Ludwig responds with a nod, that tiny smirk still on his face. Ludwig was one hundred percent, without a doubt, extremely intimidating the Italian. Lovino swallowed deeply, raising his head to look at Ludwig. He sat up straight, scribbling down a little note to himself in the notebook.

 _Rule #1: Make eye-contact?_

Lovino clears his throat and nods.

"Okay, understood. Next rule?" He asks the German. Ludwig ponders a bit, looking Lovino over with his eyes.

"Most of my employees wear suits…" Ludwig shifts his eyes up to meet the Italian's.

"I don't own a suit. Plus I'm not staying; It's my brother's job, not mine. I'm just filling in." Lovino sighs, rolling his eyes a bit as he huffed. He rubbed his eyes.

"Are you tired, Mr. Vargas? Would you like some coffee?" Ludwig asked. Lovino rubs his temples, then rubbing the corners of his eyes.

"Yes, that would be _piacevole._ " Lovino mutters, folding a leg over the other. He looks back up at Ludwig after glancing down.

"Excuse me..?" Ludwig tilts his head, eyeing the Italian. He quirked an eyebrow, clearing his throat.

"Oh, _mi dispiace_ \- Sorry. Coffee would be nice, thank you." Lovino repeats himself, in English this time, scratching his head. "Sorry… I have a tendency to use Italian in English sentences. I'll try to refrain from doing that." The brunet mumbles softly.

" _Nein_ , it's quite alright. As long as you provide translations," Ludwig began to pour Lovino a mug of coffee. Once he was done, he passed the mug to Lovino, who graciously took it with another thank you. "-We should be just fine." Ludwig offered a small smile, sitting upon his desk, his large, muscular hands gripping the underside of the edge. He looked down at Lovino with a tilted head. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand." Ludwig folds his hands after making a quick gesture. "You said you don't have a suit?" He asks.

Lovino turns a little pink. "No. I, uh… I never could afford one." He murmured, peering up at Ludwig a bit after glancing down.

"You know what? I don't even care. I like your sense of fashion. Feel free to continue dressing like that, as long as it's work-appropriate, you know? Bonus points on you if you dress in monochromatic colours." Ludwig hums happily.

"Points for what?" Lovino inquires, quirking an eyebrow.

"It depends. Promotion, raise, a new office; whatever I see fit, or whatever you want most." Ludwig opens his arms as if to represent the myriad of possibilities that Lovino could face while working for his company.

"I appreciate the offers, but I already told you; I'm not staying… I'm just filling in for Feliciano." Lovino muttered quietly.

"While I understand that, Lovino… I must admit, I have taken sort of a liking to you." Ludwig offers a gentle smile that Lovino can't help but flush faintly at. The Italian looks down slightly. He glances out the window. Raindrops began to slowly patter against the glass of the large central window that overlooked New York City, and the clouds began to grow darker as they crept closer to the building. Lovino's eyes shift down again. "Lovino-" Ludwig calls out to try and grasp Lovino's attention, but there was no response from the brunet.

Lovino fiddles with his pen, er, rather, the pen that Mr. Beilschmidt had lent him, clicking the button repeatedly. Ludwig calls his name out again,

"Lovino..?"

A small, twisty, turny, sort-of knot feeling developed in the pit of Lovino's stomach as he swallowed thickly. He rubbed his forehead, his mind wandering elsewhere.

"Mr. Vargas." Ludwig finally spits, clearing his throat. The Italian shoots up, straightening his back before grabbing his mug of coffee from the table with a sharp movement. "Are you alright, Mr. Vargas?" The German asks, and Lovino looks up at him, nodding behind his coffee as he sipped.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm just afraid of thunderstorms." He admits, exhaling as he set his mug down atop of a coaster.

"Understandable. Please forgive me for raising my voice." Ludwig nods once. Lovino quirks an eyebrow. He shakes his head. "Well, anyway, I would like to offer you a permanent position here, if you're interested."

Thunder began to rumble in the distance.

Lovino jumps a bit. He looks up at Ludwig and nods once. "You know what? Why the hell not; I'll take it." He smirks a bit. Ludwig extends his hand, and Lovino takes it, giving him a firm handshake. Ludwig grins and pulls another notebook from out of his desk. He tears out a piece of paper and plucks a black pen out of a cannister of neatly-organized writing utensils, and he begins to scribble something onto the paper. He finally passes the paper to Lovino.

"This is my personal cell number," Ludwig begins to explain. "Please call me if you need anything. Anything at all." He smiles gently at the Italian, who sunk in his seat.

"Yeah, sure. I will. Here's mine…" Lovino scribbled down his number into the notebook he received from Ludwig before tearing out the paper. He handed the number to Ludwig, who set it aside. Lovino simply folded up Ludwig's number and slipped it into his pocket.

"Well, I shall see you tomorrow, then." Ludwig grins. He hums and watches as Lovino pulls out his cell phone. The German stops him. "Wait… Are you calling a cab again?" Ludwig asks. Lovino nods a bit. "Please. Allow me to drive you home."

Lovino felt like it was better to not refuse.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated this in forever. I just found my muse for this fic again, so expect more to come! Also, remember Lynn from the first chapter? She'll be important later on. ;3

Lovino stepped out of Ludwig's car, the German's coat draping from his shoulders to protect him from the rain. He watched Ludwig step out and approach him with an umbrella over his head. He hums and smirks a bit, humming quietly in satisfaction at the gentlemanly gesture. Ludwig held the umbrella over Lovino, not really caring if the rain soaked his business suit. He walked Lovino right up to his door. Lovino slipped off the German's coat and handed it back to him.

"Uh, _grazie_ , for the stuff. And the job… And the ride…" He says with a quiet murmur. He grins a bit. Ludwig stuck out his hand, giving Lovino a quick handshake before turning around and heading back to his car, which appeared to be a jet-black Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG; a rather rare German-made sportscar.

Ludwig suddenly paused, turning around to Lovino. He tapped his car keys against the palm of his hand for a moment before speaking up. "Don't forget to call. I'll have you start the day after tomorrow at 6:30 am. Don't be late." He stated. Lovino nods once. The German turned back around. "And one more thing… Your astraphobia can be lessened if you talk to someone in a quiet, safe space in your home. Try it sometime. I hope it gets better for you." Ludwig states, not turning around.

"Astra… astraphobia?" Lovino tilts his head.

"Fear of thunderstorms." Ludwig glances behind his shoulder and flashes a soft smile before getting into his car. He revs the engine before driving off, the sound of tires screeching against the pavement as he sped off.

Lovino turned around and entered his house with a sigh, pulling off his sweater. He walked into his room and plopped onto the bed before checking the time. It was around 6:30 at night.

 _He was there for almost twelve hours?_

He pursed his lips as he glanced to the side, stretching out his back. He walked into the kitchen and fished through his cupboards for a pot to make stove top ramen in. He turned on the radio above the sink and set it to his CD mix of classical music- ah, River Flows In You. Lovino's eyes narrowed a little as he glanced away.

He had heard this song in the lobby of Ludwig's building. He gave a little huff before continuing to make his dinner. His mind wandered elsewhere, constantly pinpointing to thoughts of Ludwig.

Lovino was a little weary. Ludwig was tall, handsome, and quite mature for someone his age- late twenties, maybe thirty at the most. This man had graciously given him a job; a job, at that, that would make him enough money to be able to quit his job. This man had given him supplies when he lost his own. This man had comforted him in light of a storm; no, he didn't tell _anyone_ about his astraphobia, but why did he entrust this complete stranger with this information? He felt almost… safe around Ludwig.

He stirred the pot of boiling water, and suddenly, a jolt of thunder shook the house, causing Lovino to jump. He knocked the pot off of the stove and onto his hand, and he let out a shrill cry of pain as he gripped his wrist, his hand red and blistering.

The cellphone on the table began to buzz, and Lovino groaned as he dropped a few towels onto the floor and counter to dry the steaming water. He let the phone ring as he took a few paper towels off the rack to dry his hand, turning on the faucet to 'cold'. He ran his hand under and hissed in anguish. He sighed as relief soon enveloped him, but his eyebrows soon knotted into a scowl as the cellphone began to buzz not a minute after it had stopped the first time. He gently pat his hand dry and reached for the phone with the opposite hand.

"What?!" He hissed into the phone.

"Lovino..?"

Oh no.

It was Ludwig.

Lovino awkwardly cleared his throat and looked down. "Uh- I'm sorry. I just spilled boiling water on my hand and you called me when I was trying to take care of it…" He explained, and he heard a gruff sigh come from the other end of the conversation.

"Are you hurt..?" Ludwig asks, and Lovino shrugs. "Well… I called to let you know that I have a car on its way to pick you up. The storm is supposed the get rather severe, and I didn't want you to be alone." He states.

"E-excuse me..?" Lovino mumbles. A knock came from the door, and Lovino sighed and massaged his head. "You're really fucking weird." The Italian sighed, hanging up the phone before walking to the front entryway. He unlocks the door and opens it. Sure enough, a man in a black suit and a black messenger cap stood at the door, his hands folded in front of him.

"Mr. Vargas, Ludwig-"

"Yeah, I know, Ludwig sent you. Thank you." He smiled softly, pulling his sweater back over his head. He packed a bag with some toiletries and pajamas, and he grabbed his phone and charger. He slipped into his shoes and walked out, locking the door after closing it behind him.

Lovino walked out of the apartment complex and walked down the sidewalk behind the driver. The driver opened the door to the limousine, allowing Lovino to slip in before he shut it. He got in and pulled away from the apartments, and he spoke up.

"My name is Klaus. I am the chauffeur for Mr. Beilschmidt. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other quite a bit." The driver chuckles softly. Lovino cracks a soft smile and holds his bag close to his chest, settling into the seat of the limousine.


	4. Chapter 4

||YO FAM I'M ALIVE I PROMISE. I found a way to motivate me to write this- and it's called Spotify playlists! LMAO. Okay. This is the chapter where things get a lil heated uwu. Smut will be in the next chapter- I'm writin' it now. ;3 ||

As Klaus pulled into the long driveway of Mr. Beilschmidt's large penthouse, he let out a gentle hum of satisfaction. "Lovino, we're here-" No response. Klaus turned his head to find Lovino fast asleep. The thunder had stopped for the most part, and the Italian had fallen asleep to the sound of the rain lightly falling onto the window. Klaus grabbed his pager and promptly paged Mr. Beilschmidt. The German man rushed outside and opened the door of the limousine, scooping Lovino up into his arms, smiling gently as he gazed down at the Italian. He looked so peaceful as he slept… Ludwig ran his fingers through Lovino's hair and carried him out of the car, Klaus following behind him with Lovino's bags. Ludwig carried him into the house and up to his bedroom.

The windows were wide and long, filling the room with bright flashes of lightning. Lovino suddenly jolted awake as thunder shook the earth, and he let out a shriek as he noticed Ludwig carrying him.

"H-hey! Put me down..!" He protested, jumping out of his arms. He blushed feverishly and pouted, sitting down on the couch by the window that overlooked the city. Rain pelted against the window, lightning flashing through the sky. He trembled slightly in fear as he curled up a bit. Ludwig came down beside him, sitting on the couch. The German placed his hand gently on top of Lovino's, causing the Italian to turn his head to face him.

" _Che..?_ What's up…?" He asks. Ludwig noticed Lovino's eyes… They were wide, wet, and full of fear. It broke his heart. He leaned down and hugged Lovino softly. "G-get off!" He protested, but Ludwig just tightened his hold, pressing his face into Lovino's hair. He huffed, and he was about to protest again, but… something about this made him feel safe. He nestled into Ludwig's arms, sniffling softly. His eyes darted to the side as he sighed, hugging back.

The quiet moment was interrupted when a loud crack of thunder shook the building again.

"My apologies. To be frank, and I mean no disrespect, Mr. Vargas; but you looked scared." Ludwig stated, scratching his chin. Lovino couldn't help but give a little pout. He didn't particularly like to be babied- Especially by his damn boss. He let out a light huff and slid away, looking out the window.

"Anyway… Where will I be sleeping tonight?" Lovino asked, crossing a leg over the other as he rubbed his temples. "I don't mind sleeping on a couch."

"Don't be ridiculous- You'll take the bed." Ludwig nodded once. Lovino waved his hands about.

"No, nonono, I don't want to intrude _and_ steal your bed, no, I'll take the couch. I insist." Lovino panicked a bit. He cleared his throat, glancing up at Ludwig with a light tint of scarlet in his cheeks. He really hated the fact that Ludwig was being so nice to him. Well, he didn't hate it, _per se,_ but it wasn't something Lovino was used to. His hands gripped the edge of the black leather couch tightly, draining the color from his knuckles. He grabbed his bags, and he stands up. "Actually, I really shouldn't be here at all- I mean, you're nice an' all, but this is really unprofessional," Lovino muttered awkwardly.

"Lovino…" Ludwig stands up and grabs Lovino's wrist. "Please. Don't go." Ludwig's eyebrows knitted together, furrowing in frustration. He pulled the Italian closer and took his bags from Lovino's hands, setting them down by their feet. "It's fine, really." The blond man assures Lovino, and Lovino swallowed deeply. He felt his heart thump in his chest as he stepped closer. The German's eyelids lowered a bit as he brought his hand up to graze his fingertips across the soft, tanned skin of Lovino's cheek.

"I-I…" He scanned the other's eyes. He wasn't sure what he was searching for, but he felt like he found it, in Ludwig's eyes. Which to Lovino sounded stupid, but it just felt _right._ He wasn't sure what to say. Ludwig leaned down and swiftly pressed his lips to Lovino's, letting them linger together for a moment in a soft, gentle, yet passionate kiss.

Lovino was stumped.

And a little embarrassed, but he went along with it anyway. His hands traveled up to curl around the back of Ludwig's neck, pressing into the kiss a bit.


End file.
